High School Unicycle Club

A kid who is starting to visit our MUC Basketball venue has said he
wants to start a unicycle club at his HS. (my alma mater). I figured I'd
advise the "never ridden a uni" kids to get the Torker LX 20" as a
starting point.

My reasoning: Its affordable. Believe it or not, many riders never get
past their first uni. Many riders never jump onto of off of things or
get muddy. So, if you quit, you're not out a ton. The kids that want
more will have had some time to learn what is needed or prefered for
each type of riding.

I'm talking 8 or 10 kids and only the initial purchase. We have to
assume little or no previous experience.

Or should we go over the benefits of 20" and 24" and let them choose? (I
learned on and like my 24").

I would recommend 20". It's what I started on. I've ridden a 24" once.
It felt more stable but less maneuverable.

Torker LX 2004 sounds good to me. I just bought one a few weeks ago and
realized its not strong enough for the trials I am doing now. I have
been riding a few years but didn't start trials until I got my Torker.
But a new rider wouldn't be doing anything to break a Torker for a while
at least.

I can't see any reason to spend less than $100. Anything you get will be
much worse than the torker.

I glanced at U.com and noticed that the collar is now a hex screw
thingy. Good. I got one for my wife a while ago. It has an adjustable
collar that wraps up over the top of the neck. It S**ks! Impossible to
tighten enough to keep the seat from twisting.

OK then. Unless compelling new evidence arises, the advice for the club
will by get the affordable 20" Torker to learn/perform on.

I'm excited. High school kids have the enginuity and energy to put
together some cool performances.

I agree about 20" for learning. I think that, too, these kids, once
they learn, will be quick to embrace trials and MUni. If we can create
a uni culture that resembles the "new" skate scene we could start
something huge there. Tirals and MUni is custom made for the burnt-out
skater kid. Unique and rad.

20" Torkers to learn and then... , well, we know all too well where this
leads.

There is a simple rule and a more complex rule when considering what size
unicycle to learn on. The simple rule is for riders whose inseam is less
than 30" and consists of nothing more than matching the length of the rider'
s inseam (measured from the riders crotch to floor when wearing sneakers) to
the proper size unicycle. The chart below illustrates the relationship of
inseam length to unicycle wheel size.

INSEAM
UNICYCLE SIZE

22" or Less
16" Unicycle

23"
18" Unicycle

24" to 29"
20" Unicycle

30" or More
24" Unicycle

Riders Inseam/Unicycle Size

The more complex rule is for those beginning riders whose inseam is 30" or
greater and whose overall height is less than 6 feet tall.

I personally believe it is easier to learn to ride on a 20" unicycle
provided the seat post is long enough so that the rider properly fits the
unicycle. As illustrated in the section on seat post height, the rider
should have a slight bend in his knee when sitting on the unicycle with one
pedal at its full extension. If the rider is approaching 6 feet tall or
taller then you should consider a 24" and in some extreme cases a 26"
unicycle.

For those who fit into the complex rule category I recommend a 20" unicycle
over the 24" and larger wheels for several reasons. First, the 20" unicycle
situates the rider closer to the ground, which lessens the fear of falling.
Second, a 20" unicycle is more maneuverable making it easier to turn and
control. And third, a 20" unicycle is not as fast as the larger wheel
unicycles, which also helps to lessen the fear of falling.

Once you learn to ride the unicycle you may never need to purchase another
unicycle. However, it is not uncommon for a unicycling enthusiast to own
several different size and shape unicycles for different types or riding.
For example; I still own and ride the 20" unicycle that I learned to ride on
over 30 years ago, but it is not the only unicycle I own. Over the years I'
ve bought or built 5 other unicycles. If you "get into" unicycling, expect
to purchase at least one other unicycle some time during your unicycling
years.